1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a welding helmet with a protection cover for a cartridge, and more particularly to a welding helmet equipped with a protection cover, being manufactured in various forms, capable of covering a cartridge of the welding helmet and thereby protecting the cartridge from sparks flying about during a welding operation and preventing melting of the cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a welding helmet protects an operator's eyes and face while the operator is performing welding or cutting. Such a welding helmet is equipped with an anti-dazzling device (hereinafter, referred to as a ‘cartridge’) to protect the operator's eyes from harmful intense light rays generated during the welding or cutting. Generally, the cartridge intercepts light rays greater than 780 nm (IR) and less than 365 nm (UV) and controls transmission of visible rays so that the operator is able to check a welding position without feeling dazzled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,206 discloses a welding helmet incorporating an EQC (electronic quick change) cartridge and a cartridge housing. The EQC cartridge includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) lens positioned directly in front of the eyes of the wearer, thereby functioning as the actual viewing window, solar cells absorbing light and functioning as the energy input, and photo sensor cells detecting sparks and other intense light and acting as the input to a circuit that automatically adjusts the LCD lens to a variable opaque condition. The cartridge housing is located inside of the helmet to retain the cartridge within the helmet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,264 discloses a welding helmet having a shutter assembly comprising a shutter through which the wearer of the helmet may view a welding operation being performed, the shutter having an associated electronic control for controlling a light transmission shade of the shutter, the control including a light sensor for sensing light emanating from the welding operation, and the control having an electronic circuit for driving the shutter to a darker shade in response to the light sensor sensing brighter light from the welding operation.
Although the conventional welding helmet is equipped with a cartridge which detects intense light emanating from the welding operation and automatically adjusts the LCD lens and the shutter to a darker shade so as to protect the operator's eyes, there remains a shortcoming in that installation and removal of the cartridge with respect to the welding helmet is so cumbersome. The cartridge mounted to the welding helmet needs to be conveniently installed and removed in order to prepare for when repair or replacement of parts is required. However, the EQC cartridge and a cartridge in the form of the shutter assembly of the conventional welding helmets are irremovable or difficult to remove. Furthermore, in the conventional welding helmet having a removable cartridge, connection between a helmet body and the cartridge is not achieved tightly enough to prevent fumes generated from the welding or cutting operation from flowing in through the gap between the helmet body and the cartridge. The fumes directly flowing in the welding helmet can seriously affect the operator's health.
In addition, the conventional welding helmets are subject to heat generated from the welding operation. Therefore, the welding helmets may be melted by heat or damaged especially at delicate portions where electronic parts are built in.